Venture's Adventure for Takos
by Mysticarts
Summary: Venture is an adventureous house elf. When the house elves of hogwarts heard a young student called their food bland, he rose to the challenge to find the legendary tako, and add it to the food served at hogwarts. Now if only he knew what a tako was.
1. Chapter 1

Venture was an odd house elf. Not Dobby of the Malfoy's odd but odd enough. Odd enough to be chosen by the top house elf, Lotso, to go and find food that would not be...bland. Venture shivered instinctively. Hearing that had brought surprise and nervousness to the house elf population of Hogwarts. Their cleaning skills helped the caretaker make the place safe and clean, their food fed young budding children, it needed to taste good and nourish the body. Venture tugged on the pillowcase while he watched the muggles below him. Teleporting in unfamiliar territory was not without risks.

Venture's stomach growled. The people rushed too and fro on the ground below him. They spoke quickly in words he could not recognize. He'd hoped to catch word of where takos could be aquired, but it seemed like it may be called something else here. He could smell food from the restaurant across the street. Reaching inward he teleported across the street, behind the building in the most enclosed space he could find. He heard shouting and footsteps as he hid, gathering the courage to poke his head around the corner. Muggles were cooking all manner of dishes, and the spicy aroma drifted into his nose.

Making his decision, after all he was on a mission to find new recipes. As a waiter turned his back he snapped his fingers, causing the bowl to rise and levitate it over to him. Unconcerned about the shouting that happened after he got back behind the wall he examined the food. It looked like tomato vegetable soup, but the bowl was cold. Their was some odd green stuff, fatty green stuff by the taste of it. Not bad, but not what the elf was used to. Venture took a sip of the soup, not caring to try and sneak a spoon to try it with. It was ice cold but rich in vegetables. Something that could be made easily at hogwarts, though probably not a good idea, the castle was cold enough during the winter months. Ventures mouth began to burn, his tounge to tingle. Venture drank more of the soup, desperate for cold relief. But the relief that came with the cold vegetables didn't soothe his mouth and throat. He panted fanning his tounge, " _Muggles eat this stuff?_ " Venture looked back at the bowl. Despite the heat, Venture found he'd liked the cold soup. Especially with how hot it was outside.

* * *

Venture snuggled back down into the den he'd made beneath the restaurant. He'd learned the weird tomato soup was called gazpacho, and of a rice dish called paella, which was made with either rabbit or chicken. He'd entered the restaurant when people had left for the day, hoping to track down the recipes to show Lotso. He'd been gone for two weeks and still had no recipes to show for it, let alone one for takos. He finished eating his latest food, something called gambas al ajillo, which had some garlic, prawns, hazelnuts and almonds. "

 _"I need something...A cookbook!"_ Thought Venture as he licked his bowl clean. There had to be one house elf who could figure out this language. He waited until night time to begin sneaking around, finally coming across a bookstore. Elf magic made getting in and sneaking in easy, the strange words made it harder. Venture took books off the shelf and threw them down as he went. It took him the better part of an hour to find a cookbook, only to be indaunted by the whole bookshelf of them. Thinking quickly he grabbed the thickest book off the shelf, and began flipping. There was a recipe for gazpacho, and a few for paella. He snapped the book shut and teleported out focusing on hogwarts.

* * *

Lotso was tucking in for the night when the loud crack of long distance elf teleporting rang throughout the dorm. "I have returned," Venture exclaimed holding the thick book above his head.

"Did ya think about what time it is?" Lotso yelled poking his head out of the head house elfs space and into one of the common areas.

"I'm sorry Lotso sir," Venture said, his ears drooping as he looked down. "But I returned with a cook book! Now none of the students will call our food...bland." He said with no involuntary shiver. He could now see where the young child had gotten the idea, food was a lot different in other places.

"Did you find the recipe for the tako?" Lotso asked limping over to Venture to take the book from him.

"No sir, I did not. But I found recipes for tres leches pastel, gazpacho, and paella!" Venture told him. "Its all in this book, we just need to figure out the other language."

"Then what good does that do us?" Lotso yelled as he passed the book off to a younger house elf. "Get out there and get me that recipe for takos!"

With a crack Venture disappeared and Lotso turned to the younger elf. "Well what are you standing there for? Find a dictionary that can be used for that book!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Takos?

Venture carefully studied their map they had taken out of the library. Well borrowed, hopefully he wouldn't be punished for it. He'd found that there was a place called takos, and after several teleports across the continent his stomach was itching for some of its food. Grimacing from his growling stomach he reached inside himself and teleported into a small alley behind some trash cans.

Once again he followed his nose, taking care to not be seen by muggles. Or at least being fast enough to be mistaken for some type of cat. He stopped behind a bush under an open window, meat and vegetables permeating the air. He slowly peeked over the windowsill, watching a young girl chatting away to her mother who was stirring a pot of red soup.

The mother sat the spoon down and followed the eager child down the hall, which was when Venture made his move. Conjuring a small bowl he sent it whizzing into the kitchen and down into the large pot, before it came whirring back to him.

He ducked behind the bush and slurped the soup hurriedly. The heavy taste of paprika, much more than he'd ever think of putting in any dish assaulted his tongue with peppers and the richness of meat.

He once again wished he had more in the bowl. Any self respecting house elf in Britain could make good food that stuck to your ribs and reminded kept there. This was different. While many would reach for seconds this, just like the food before woke him up inside. Spice, warmth, and something that was different than the usual fare.

Running his finger along the bottom of the bowl Venture was hit with a thought. British food wasn't bad. It wasn't bland. But it wasn't all there was. He thought back to the food he had in spain, the gazpacho. The paella. The food was good, wholesome, but wasn't a food, it was the child's frustration to not have variety.

Venture teleported back to his little hidey-hole behind a shed, two ill gotten chimney cakes in his hands as he pulled out the paper and quill he had brought in his pillowcase. He was reviewing his recipes, noting all the differences. The paper was haphazardly covered in scrawling going every which why, red fingerprints and splotches from the food, and circles of other foodstuffs. Venture rolled down to the desert section. He began haphazardly adding corrections and he munched his cakes.

Venture was pleased with his work. He could probably duplicate most, if not all the recipes now with study. If only because he spent his entire time watching and eating. As the sun set Venture rolled up his scroll for the final time. He'd been gone too long, and Lotso was going to want his report. Reaching inside himself, he started his long journey of teleports home.

"Lotso told yous to not return without a recipe for takos!" Lotso exclaimed, once again being woken up by Venture's return.

"But Takos isn't a food!" Venture flipped to a poorly drawn map in his notes, "Takos is a place! A place with food different from ours. See! They have red fish stew, red beef stew-"

"Is everything they eat red?" Lotso demanded grabbing the notes away from Venture roughly.

"No! They have theses tall cakes called chimney cakes, and fried cheese. Our food isn't bland, it's just very similar in spices," Venture's eyes grew wide as he continued, "If we start including more worldly food then the children won't complain anymore."

Lotso cocked his head, examining the messy scrawl of the younger elf. "Tomorrow you can resume your previous duties about the castle."

"But Lotso, what about when the kids get bored of these foods too?" Venture asked.

Lotso frowned. Glanced at Venture, then at the other elves who had been woken up by the conversation. "Well I guess you better find more food. I will not have our cooking be called bland.

The world had many kinds of food. And Venture was going to try them all.


End file.
